


The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered

by CuddlyChristina2017



Category: No Fandom, Video Games - Fandom
Genre: Action and Drama with a dose of Romance, Expect the plot to deviate from the actual game's plot, F/M, Gen, Jim Sterling sent me (the author) here!, Most or some spoilers from the game will be tweaked like crazy, Needs a fandom of its own, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Please move to the Video Games fandom and media section, Possible fix-fic, Revamping the plot from scratch (probably), Trust me there will be a better ending too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-11-13 05:25:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18025550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuddlyChristina2017/pseuds/CuddlyChristina2017
Summary: An alternate, revamped, far more coherent adaptation of the obscure and critically savaged video game, with new characters, new subplots, and more. (Completed!)





	1. Prologue and The Drug Errand

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: Allright, first things first. Let me talk briefly about The Quiet Man. NO, not the '50s film starring John Wayne, I'm talking about the video game.
> 
> The Quiet Man is a SHIT game. Even if you have the 'Answered' patch, it is STILL a shit game.
> 
> So, in my infinite wisdom, why not do a fanfic on this pile of crap? And I know what you're thinking: you're really writing a fanfic on a really bad game that got savaged by critics, as well as a potential winner for Worst Game of 2018?
> 
> Well, duh. And I'm certainly not joking, either. However, what I AM going to do is tweak the plot left and right, cut down on the racial stereotypes, replace Lala (the resemblance to Lorraine is just damn creepy) with a far more suitable love interest, and make the ending a LOT easier to understand. I don't care if any or all of it is exposition, I'm not gonna copy and paste dialogue from the game.
> 
> So you could say I have transformed the shit story from that shit game into a far better, more superior story, plus I've decided to write down what could've been interesting sidequests / sideplots, too.
> 
> Here goes...
> 
> By the way, Square Enix and Human Head Studios own The Quiet Man. I only own the following original characters:
> 
> 1\. Alex, the patron in trouble with SOL33.
> 
> 2\. Mr. Swank, the manager of Club Moonrise.
> 
> and 3. Shirley, the bartender.
> 
> Also the '(insert quote here)' stuff are thoughts from Dane, since he's deaf, and does occasional sign language.
> 
> Also, also the lyrics at the start of the chapter, as well as in the finale, are from 'The Quiet' from Imogen Heap.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Sorry if I'm stalling on other fanfics, I'll try and get to them soon, okay?
> 
> P.S.S. Special thanks to Jim Sterling for leading me into this game. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made this fanfic.

**The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered**

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Oh, what to say**

**When the right words fail to find the light of day**

**Oh, when everything is lost**

**And mixed feelings seed a hurricane of hearts**

My name is Dane. I have been deaf since birth, and I have living a fairly mundane life with my parents. Though at the same time, my father had resented me from the start.

My mother, on the other hand, did all she could to make sure I wouldn't suffer a breakdown or two, and she would often comfort me with the words, "It's going to be okay."

Thanks, Mom. Every time I hear those words, it makes me smile a little.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One day, however, changed everything for me. When I overheard an argument between my friend Taye, and a bully named Isaac, I quickly headed towards them, gesturing them with, 'What is going on here?'

"Buzz off!" Isaac retorted.

"Hey, he just asked us a question! Answer him already!" Taye told him.

This only made things even worse, and Isaac pulled out a gun from his pocket, and tried aiming it at me. My heart nearly stopped, but I felt some sense of security when Taye showed up to try and pry the gun from Isaac's hands.

"What are you doing?! Put it down! He's trying to help us!" he yelled.

"FUCK YOU!" Isaac yelled.

It wasn't long for my mother to be overhearing all of this, and quickly ran out, screaming, "Stop this right now! You're going to kill someone!"

And then, it happened. A single shot from the gun in Isaac's hand.

The bullet found itself landing into her abdomen, and my eyes widened in fear as I watched her collapse to the ground. I rushed over to her, feeling my eyes well with tears as Taye, out of pure fear, ran away while Isaac stood there.

Meanwhile, someone had called the police, and when they arrived they found me crying over my mother's corpse, and Isaac just about to drop the gun. The police quickly arrested him, and I ran back home in tears.

My father, who was a policeman, became very angry and upset simultaneously, and for the rest of my childhood, he would always scream and berate at me, blaming me for his wife's death. In truth, I did nothing wrong, but he never bought into it.

Already traumatized by what had happened, I sought refuge and comfort in my own room, often drawing sketches and pictures, until one day, I began drawing a strange man that dressed almost like that of a Plague Doctor.

Upon completing the drawing, I wrote the following words next to him: The Quiet Man.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Night 1**

Years have passed.

I am now a grown-up, working as a bouncer for my friend Taye at the nightclub known as Club Moonrise, and he is also the leader of Liberty, an American mafia-esque mob in New York City.

There are a few other people that I've fairly known there besides Taye: there was a patron named Alex, an Asian-American man in his early thirties who was quite recognizable with his maroon-colored Trilby hat. He also had onyx black hair, and short and slightly slicked back, and eyes that were also dark in color.

Another is Mr. Swank, the much older manager of Club Moonrise, whom initially didn't want Liberty taking over his nightclub, but eventually gave in and showed some sense of loyalty to Taye and Liberty as a whole. He was tall, always wore a nice dark blue suit, had short sandy blond hair and a beard to go along with it, and greenish-colored eyes.

Finally, there was Shirley, a bartender, who, aside from almost close to perfecting her craft at making drinks since she was a teenager, was not only closer to me in age, but since she started working here, I had slowly developed an unexpected friendship with her, to the point that she seems to more than like me. Her long, auburn hair was always kept up in a neat bun, and her eyes were the color of pure blue.

They've all understood that I'm deaf, and often I would use sign language to communicate with them, and this proves that I'm not clueless or dumb.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

During a not-so-eventful night, I briefly entered Club Moonrise, and saw most of the patrons enjoying themselves. Well, except for Alex, who was busy drinking his sixth glass of tequila.

I walk over to him, and gesture him with, 'Is there something wrong?'

Alex looked over at me and with a frown, he replied, "Oh, hey there, kid. I could sure use your help."

I nodded, and gestured him to go on. He sat back, and let out a sigh as he said, "So, I've been living an ordinary and simple life. Then one day, a few guys from this gang called SOL33, came to my house..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Several months ago...**

Alex was ready to turn himself in for the night and sleep, until he heard the sound of glass breaking. He slowly stirred, putting on his robe and exiting the bedroom.

He entered the living room to discover at least three men from SOL33, in the midst of stealing his most important possessions. He yelled, "Get out of my house!"

"Get out of your house?! Are you serious, man?!" one of them asked.

"You better not lay a finger on us, or else we're gonna kill you!" another added.

Alex was quick enough to find a baseball bat from his bedroom, and returned to the living room, attacking one of the men with it. It seemed that they were ready to back off and get out of the house as he promised.

However, another of the trio of men attacked him from behind, hitting him in the back with a lead pipe, and making him land to the ground. The man beat Alex some more, before he laid there, helpless as he dropped the bat.

This caused another of the SOL33 boys to take his bat, and with that, the group, stole what they were looking for, and eventually escaped.

When Alex came to his senses, he discovered that they stole some of his prized possessions, including his wallet. He would then visit Club Moonrise every night, and with their drinks on the house for him to savor, he found himself drowning in his own sorrows.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"...and that's why I need your help in getting rid of those scumbags." Alex finished.

I nodded again, and gave him a reassuring gesture, 'Don't worry. I'll get your stuff back.'

"Thanks, kid. You're one hell of a lifesaver." he said, sporting a small smile.

I smile back, before I was ready to return to my duties. However, Mr. Swank had just come to talk to me about something important.

"It's good to know you're still working here. Do you mind if you take time off?" he asked.

'Not at all', I nod my head no, before he spoke again.

"Well, I need you to get some drugs from someone affiliated with SOL33. His name's George, and he lives at..."

He was able to give me George's name and address, and as he gave me what appeared to be a small bag. Swank added, "Just remember, kid; be careful of any SOL33 associates; they're probably in the alleys drinking and gloating nonsense."

I nodded my head in approval, and exited the club, pulling my hooded jacket up and heading out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As I headed on a very important errand, hoping to reach George's house without any incident. Indeed, as I arrived, I snuck into the house with a lockpick, and investigated my surroundings, until I found a pile of cocaine on the dining room table.

I quickly retrieved it, and put it in the bag, before getting out without setting off an alarm. Soon, I was on my way to my destination, an alley where several SOL33 gangsters had detected my presence.

They began to taunt me, but I gestured to them, 'I can't hear you.' as I set down the bag onto a dumpster.

There were at least three of them, and as I cracked my knuckles, I was ready to deal a boatload of assbeating on them all. I started with punching one of them in the head, and kicked him in the lower area.

It was pretty much a curb-stomp battle at first, when the first one was down and out, but the second took out a switchblade and nearly cut at my neck. He then punched me in the chest, until I decided to counterattack.

I knee'd him in the stomach, before unleashing a flurry of punches across his upper area, and kicking him down to the ground. The last one surprised me by punching me in the face, until I returned the favor, bloodying his face before kicking him in the groin.

He groaned as he and the others were trying to get back up, and before I left, I dropped the bag onto one of the guys's heads.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once I returned, I returned to Swank, and gave him a thumbs up, indicating I succeeded in the mission. He grinned, saying to me, "Really good, kid. Here's some money. And don't be minding Babcock; he's just busy hitting on some chicks."

As he left, I also noticed that Shirley was about to finish her shift. I waved 'hello' to her, causing her to notice.

"Oh, hi, Dane. Anything new lately?" she asked.

I shook my head 'no', and with the help of sign language, I told her, 'But some time ago, I stole some drugs from a SOL33 affiliate.'

"I see...must've been pretty hard, right?"

'Sort of. I encountered some thugs in an alley.'

"And what happened after that?"

'I got rid of them, before bringing them to Mr. Swank.'

"So you're telling me you took them out?"

'Exactly.' My response was another nod.

"Awesome. Anyways, my shift's come to a close, and I'm heading home so that someone else could take over for me." she said.

'Be careful.'

Shirley smiled, and nodded her agreement. "Yeah, you should be careful, too. See you tomorrow night, Dane." she said.

I smile back at her, before she left the club for the night. I took one last look at her for tonight, before setting my eyes on Alex, then Taye. It's nice to have friends like these three on your side...right?


	2. Alex's Request and Moonrise Ambushed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Thanks for waiting!
> 
> Sorry for the brief author's note, but this chapter pretty much foreshadows certain events, which will eventually occur the next night. Hold on tight!

**The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered**

**Night 2**

Everything seemed normal. Customers were storming in, especially Alex, who was waiting patiently for the thugs's comeuppance. Taye and even Mr. Swank were trying to keep everything in line, and Shirley was working hard as always.

Then, I notice Taye heading towards me, and he began to explain how his girlfriend, a singer named Lala, was getting letters from an unknown stalker. He also explained how she was going to perform tomorrow night, as well, and insisted that I pick her up and escort her to Moonrise, hoping she was safe.

With my sign language proving to be successful, I had reassured Taye that everything would be A-okay, and he smiled confidently. After that, I began to remember Alex's promise, and went to ask him.

'Do you know where those thieves hang out?'

"Someone told me they usually spend their time at the docks."

'Good.'

With a nod of approval, I left the club, looking for the thugs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After some time investigating, I was able to locate the docks, where I saw some SOL33 thugs that certainly looked exactly like the ones Alex described to me about. The trio were busy talking about how they used an innocent man's wallet to buy some high-quality drugs, and laughing about it, too.

As I stepped closer to them, they suddenly looked over at me, until one of them asked, "If it isn't that Dane fellow! Sounds like you're on that punk's side, aren't you? You really wanna get his stuff back, right?"

He pointed over to the stolen possessions that once belonged to Alex, and I nodded a simple 'yes' at them, before the same thug grabbed me by the throat. He slammed me against a pole, and was about to punch me in the stomach, when he felt me punch him in the face, his grip effectively letting go.

I gave him some more punches, before landing a swift uppercut on him. The other two, having watched their friend land on the ground, took out their knives from their pockets, ready to slit my throat open.

Though I gave one of them a knee to the stomach, as well as flurry of punches to the torso, he was close to stabbing me in the hand. Luckily, he just gave me a small cut on the front of my hand, but I would quickly take his knife, and stab him in the neck.

He groaned as he clutched his neck, trying to stop the wound from bleeding out. This left me with the last of the trio, who cracked his knuckles before lunging at me and giving me several punches, most to the torso, and a couple to the face.

My nose was nearly bleeding, but since I had a lot of fight left in me, I decided to shove one my knees into his jaw. Following it up with a few kicks, I concluded the combo with a roundhouse kick, effectively beating him down.

Once all three were defeated, I was able to obtain Alex's wallet, and his stolen possessions, before I traveled back to Moonrise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As I came back, I found Alex and gestured him to walk up to me. He had a very big grin as he noticed I had his possessions, before I gave them to him.

"You did real good, kid. I'm forever in your debt. By the way, here's some of the money I brought with me; buy something cool for someone you like." he told me, before handing me several 20 dollar bills.

'Thank you', I said with my sign language.

"No problem." he replied, before he decided to go grab himself a celebratory drink of sorts. Speaking of drinks, I noticed Shirley at the bar, and I went to sit near her, hoping to speak to her.

She was quick enough to notice me, and asked, "Dane...is your nose okay?"

I was just finishing up cleaning my knuckles on my jeans when I look up at her, and nodded. 'One of those assholes almost broke my nose.'

"Maybe you should use Babcock's handkerchief."

I was surprised, but I nodded in agreement, before I went to locate Babcock, in the middle of talking to some friends. He looked over at me and asked, "What do you want, Dane? I'm busy here."

'Let me have your handkerchief.'

"Oh, this?" he asked, taking out his handkerchief. "Hell no. Go find your own hankie."

I scowled, before snatching it from his hands and using it stop my nose from bleeding. "Aw, come on! What the hell?! That is a fancy, high-quality hankie, and it belongs to me!" he exclaimed out of annoyance.

After using it, I threw the handkerchief back at him, before giving him an offensive gesture - flipping the bird, if you will - before I got back to the bar.

"So, did you fix yourself up?" Shirley asked.

'Yes.' I nodded, before I noticed her letting out a small sigh. 'Is there something wrong?'

"Lately, I've been having this guy follow me home every time I get off my shift at Moonrise. Especially since I could hear pretty loud footsteps behind me. Funny thing is, he never enters my house."

'That's odd; you have a stalker like Lala, right?'

"Yeah, I think so. Maybe one of these nights you could deal with him? And maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to repay you." she said, letting out a genuine smile.

'I'll do what I can, Shirley. Thank you.'

Finishing up my sign language, I ordered a margarita, choosing to take a break from my job for the night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Night 3**

Tonight was the night Lala would perform at Club Moonrise, and as I got into my vehicle, I started it up, and travelled to her apartment. When I got there, she looked out her window, and instantly left her apartment to get outside.

As she quickly got in the car, she looked at me and asked, "Are you the enforcer from Club Moonrise?"

'Yes.' I replied with a nod, before starting up the car. 'And you must be Lala, right?'

She nodded, and replied, "I'm Lala; do you have a name?"

I took out a piece of paper, as well as a small pen, and wrote down my name on it. When she took the paper, she looked at it, and then turned to face me again. "Your name's Dane?"

I nodded again, and she smiled. "You're actually kind of cute." she simply told me.

Her words made me blush a bit; I was pretty awkward when I was around Shirley for the first time, but I kept my cool as I began to come out of my shell and Lala certainly was no exception.

"You know, there's something I really need to get off my chest." she began. "When I got out of college, I wanted to become an actress or a singer. When I decided a singing career would be good for me, especially since I've been also playing the piano since I was younger, I ended up getting myself a really horrible manager. His abusive attitude towards me started taking a huge toll on my happiness, and I just want everything to come to a close. In other words...I just...I want my life to end."

As she finished, she frowned as she stared out the window. "But then I met this rather handsome gentleman, and I asked him if he could help me out with my troubles, and he agreed. Then he wrote me letters, often smelling of sweet perfume. As much as I enjoyed those letters, I had to pretend they were threatening, so I reminded my boyfriend Taye about it."

I was simply surprised by her words, and frowned as well, feeling some sense of remorse for her. But I couldn't help but notice how she was a much younger version of my mother.

_Wait...something's wrong..._

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_

_I shouldn't think about it!_

Taking a deep breath, I continued driving, up until I looked to the side and noticed something odd. A figure that looked exactly like the Quiet Man was in the crowd, but when I blinked, he was gone.

It was some sort of hallucination, but I didn't want it fazing me, and kept going until we finally reached Moonrise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As I entered the club with Lala, Taye excitedly went over to her and hugged her, sharing a kiss with her, as well as offering her a bouquet of roses. I didn't seem to care that much of Lala dating another man. After all, Babcock, and sometimes Alex had been bugging me about the chance to confront Shirley about her feelings for me.

Nevertheless, Lala began to sing on the stage as she performed the piano with stunning proficiency. If only I wasn't deaf, I thought to myself, I would've found her singing voice to be quite lovely.

Unfortunately, something unexpected happened as several SOL33 thugs invaded Moonrise, thus confirming all of this to be an ambush. I also took notice of a figure that dressed like the Quiet Man, storming into the club, and taking Lala with him.

I believed him to be her stalker, and was certain I could track him down. However, with the SOL33 gang nearly destroying Moonrise, and attacking (and sometimes murdering) Liberty members and even patrons, I was far more focused on them than him.

With me up against four of the thugs, I went right after the first one, punching him in the torso, as well as the groin, before I got caught from behind by the second. Putting me into a chokehold, he tried to choke me to death, when the sound of a bottle being hit on his head prompted him to let go, as he swiftly fell to the ground.

I noticed that the bottle belonged to Alex, and he let out a small smile, before we decided to deal with the remaining two thugs. I noticed that Alex was rather skilled in karate, as he gave his enemy several kicks to the upper area, before uppercutting him. With only one thug remaining, I took the broken bottle, and aimed right at the last man.

He attempted to stab me with a knife, but I caught him offguard by stabbing him in the torso with the bottle, before I threw it away and began conducting a series of punches and kicks. And yet, through all of this, including the ambush and Lala getting kidnapped, I felt as though I was starting to crack.

Then, a rather familiar face entered the room, crossing his arms. I knew for certain that it was Isaac, who said, "Well if it isn't the little fucking wimp from years ago!"

'Isaac...I know you!' I said through sign language.

"If it weren't for your dumb dad, I would've just fled like Taye!" he exclaimed.

I decided to take him on, punching at him several times, but it looked like he was unfazed by these attacks. He then grabbed me by the throat, about to punch my lights out when a fellow Liberty thug shot him in the shoulder, making him growl as he clutched the area.

"Fucking hell, you trying to get in the way of me killing this punk?!" Isaac asked him.

He then looked at me, Alex and finally the Liberty thug, before he grit his teeth as he punched at the wall with one of his fists, and then taking leave.

As he left, I felt images of Lala interspersed with my mother flash before my eyes, before I fell on my knees, covering my eyes as Alex rushed over to me, asking if I was allright, all the while Swank was aghast as he noticed the club nearly destroyed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I felt as though I had a mental breakdown, and to try and stop me from losing my shit, Alex offered me a drink from home. I nodded in agreement, and he took to his house so that we could have some green tea and talk.  
"Is there something wrong, kid?" he asked me.

I take a deep breath, before using the power of sign language with, 'I don't know why I keep getting images of Lala and my mother in my sight. I don't know why they look so alike...what the fuck am I gonna do?!'

I took a sip of the green tea, hoping my nerves would relax, and Alex reassured me by saying, "I'm certain you'll find her. It might take a few days, but trust me, it'll be all worth it."

I was surprised by his words, but I smile as I nodded my head 'yes'. Sooner or later, I will track that man - and even Isaac - down!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so The Quiet Man has come into play...And while Dane has to deal with him, he's also gotta deal with Isaac, as well as a mysterious man in pursuit of Shirley! All this and more in the next chapter!
> 
> With love for my fans,
> 
> Chrissy


	3. Shirley's Stalker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: As always, thanks for waiting!
> 
> BTW, this chapter will contain sexual content, so if you're old enough, grab a bag of popcorn!
> 
> And on a side note, while I was writing said sexual content, I was listening to Prince's 'Purple Rain' as some sort of inspiration.

**The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered**

**Night 4**

During the night, overhearing arguments left and right about the tensions between Liberty and SOL33 at an all-time high, with some workers expressing their concern about Lala's whereabouts. I had just came back, after using Alex's gift to buy a necklace for someone special, when one of Taye's associates to come up to me and start speaking.

"We're in deep shit, Dane. Somebody kidnapped Taye's girl, and we think SOL33 is behind it all. So you gotta talk to Taye about this gang war between them and Liberty escalating, allright? Because if you don't, it's all gonna implode!" he told me.

With the power of sign language, I replied, 'No. I'll look for Lala on my own.'

He just ignored me, and ran off to talk to Taye on the phone. During the phone call, he reminded him of the gang war, which was enough to anger him.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" he asked.

But as for me, I had something else to take care of besides finding Lala. In fact, Shirley had finished her shift as usual, and was ready to head home.

Remembering as to how she was being stalked, I chose to follow her, without getting caught, as well as detecting the guy that was bothering her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Out on the streets, I kept my eye on the road Shirley was walking through, until I eventually saw a rather unkempt man in a blue leather jacket walk out of the crowd and taking notice of her. I followed him as he followed her, hoping to confront him and stop his unsavory activities.

Halfway, she was walking through a park, and she believed that she was almost close to home. However, the man in the blue jacket was still walking behind her, about to resume following her once she started walking again.

Luckily, I was hiding behind a tree, and was quick enough to detect him, grabbing him from behind. "HEY! Who the fuck do you think you are, man?!" he asked, looking over at me, and causing Shirley to also notice.

She gasped, and exclaimed, "It's you! You're that bastard that's been following me every night!"

"Oh, you finally recognize me, huh? Boy, for such a bartender who's just finished work, you're lookin' pretty hot, tonight." he replied.

"Shut up!"

The man just ignored her, before taking out a Colt .45 from his jacket, and aiming it directly at me. But just before he was about to shoot me, however, I lunged at him, putting him in an armbar and making him drop the gun.

"Oh, so you wanna piece of her instead of me?! There's no way she'd be dating a mute like yourself!" he taunted me.

'Fuck you.' I replied, using the middle finger as my spoken words.

It was there that he made the first move, headbutting me in the chest. I fought back by punching him in the face several times, before following that up by kicking him on the sides of his lower body.

He grunted as he began punching me in the torso and face a couple of times, though I could tell he wasn't that much of a good fighter, and it showed. He then attempted to put me in a chokehold, but I dodged him, performing an uppercut and was about to deliver a flurry of fast, lethal kicks my way.

However, the unkempt man caught me by surprise by biting my arm, making me wince in pain, and he was able to kick at me in the stomach. As I clutched my stomach, I noticed Shirley showing up from behind the stalker, and kicking him in the crotch.

This gave me my chance to regain my focus, and do my aforementioned kicks, sending him almost flying as he hit the ground. Taking hold of his gun, he tried shooting at me, but I narrowly dodged the bullet as Shirley and me quickly escaped the park.

He snarled as he yelled, "Fucking prick! Come back with my woman, mute!"

I followed Shirley, nearly reaching her apartment, and while she was panting a bit, she smiled as she told me, "Dane...thanks for saving my hide. I'm really glad you could deal with that asshole."

'No problem.' I replied with a simple nod, cleaning my knuckles with my jacket.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We would then walk all the way back to her place, and when we reached the front door, I gestured her with, 'Shirley, there's something I must give you.'

Remembering the necklace I bought with Alex's gift, I took out a fairly small box from one of the pockets in my jeans. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what it could possibly be.

I handed the box to her, and she eagerly opened it, her mouth almost dropping as she noticed that it was a sparkling diamond necklace. "Oh my god...! This...This is really beautiful...thank you!" she exclaimed, before taking the necklace out of the box, and handing it to me.

Shirley then put the necklace around her neck (her hair up in a bun made things easier), and smiled as she said, "I'm very happy you got me such a gorgeous gift."

'I bought it with Alex's gift of several twenty dollar bills.' I responded, smiling back at her.

We just stood there, happy and elated, until she broke the ice as she spoke, "Um...you remembered how I could repay you if you ever dealt with that man?"

I nodded, gesturing her to continue.

"As much as I want to tell you, I don't want this to be out in the public, or else people could hear me and be like, 'Is she for real with this guy?' So...we should get inside and talk privately, okay?" she replied.

Nodding again, she then used her keys from her purse to unlock the door, and as she stepped in, she silently encouraged me to follow her. Once I got in, she closed the door behind us.

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I noticed her apartment was quite tidy and spiffy, but as much as I wanted to compliment the elegance of the decor, I was more interested in listening to Shirley's inquiry.

As we sat on the couch, she began to speak, "So you've been working at Moonrise for several years as an enforcer, right, Dane? So have I, albeit as a bartender, though according to Taye, you've actually had an extra year working there. Just like Alex and possibly even Swank, I was initially dumbfounded when you spoke only in sign language, but like them, I began to understand your deafness and help you communicate better."

I nodded, and she continued, "As the years went by, I'll have to admit; we've been getting along very well for a good amount of time. So much so, that...well, that when you took down my stalker, I really feel like I should get this off my chest."

Her eyes still locked on me, she took a deep breath.

"I love you."

Her words made my eyes widen a bit in surprise, but at the same time, I felt as though my heart would melt at her statement. As she smiled towards me, I smiled back, before I responded.

'I love you too.'

My gestures made Shirley very happy, and as I place a hand on one of her slowly blushing cheeks, I looked deep down into her eyes, seeing all the positivity flowing within. As my eyes closed, I leaned in to place a soft, gentle kiss on her lips.

Her eyes fluttered to a close as she returned the kiss, until she broke it and watched as I stood up, offering her my hand. As I helped her up, she removed the clasp from her hair, letting her hair fall down mid-waist.

We then leaned in for another kiss, this time it had a bit of passion to it as I wrapped my arms around her. Once our lips broke free from each other, we just gazed into each others's eyes for a moment, until she gently took hold of one of my hands, and allowed me to follow her into her bedroom.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once inside, Shirley had already shut the door, before I embraced her once again, our lips entwined in another kiss. This time around, our tongues began to slowly dance with each others's.

My hands ran across her body, yearning to remove any article of clothing that threatened to conceal. It wasn't long for her to slide down my jacket, letting it hit the floor.

After slipping off her coat, she allowed me to lower my lips to the side of her neck, and then I was about to unbutton her long-sleeved blouse when Shirley took me by surprise. Gently pushing me onto the bed, and after removing my footwear and socks, she also followed suit by removing her pumps.

She would then join me in bed, straddling me as our lips collided for the upteenth time, before I took my time in removing my shirt. Letting out a seductive laugh, she ran her hands across my muscular chest and arms, admiring everything before her eyes before I quickly unbuttoned her blouse.

With our upper clothes on the floor, Shirley lowered her hands down to her knee-length skirt, sliding it down and off of her body, discarding it with the rest of her garments. Now in only her matching bra and undies, I felt something stir in between my legs.

That certain stirring was enough for me to unbuckle my pants and get rid of them, so that I was only clad in my boxers. Her eyes slightly widened as she noticed as to how my shaft was aching to get out, but seemed reluctant in removing them first.

I stare into her eyes with a genuine smile, before shifting our bodies, so that she was now laying on her back. Biting my lower lip, I let my hands clumsily reach for the back of her bra, unclipping it.

As she took it off completely, and setting it on the floor, she laid there in only her undies, but she wasn't done yet. Shirley brought her hands to my boxers, lowering them down until they were completely gone, leaving me completely naked.

Discarding the boxers, she briefly noticed my erection before she saw me use my hands to lower down her panties. Once they were gone, this left her naked as well, yet the only thing she still had on was the necklace I've given her. She blushed underneath me as I admired every inch of her body; her breasts of medium size, her skin pale and flushed - she looked so perfect under the faint light.

I reached down and kiss her again, starting gentle at first, but began to put more fervor into it. As our tongues danced once again, I lower one of my hands down to her breasts, taking hold of one of them gently, and beginning to squeeze it almost softly.

When I break the kiss, my eyes lowered down to her breasts, noticing as to how beautiful, pink and throbbing her nipples felt by my hands. I moved in to gently suck one of them, making her gasp and jerk her head from side to side.

I also used my teeth to softly bite at the hardened nub, switching between sucking and biting as my other hand reached in between Shirley's legs. As my fingers felt something very warm, they began to trace the outline of her womanhood.

Sliding my digits into her, I simultaneously worked on her pussy, as well as her breasts, giving her other nipple the same treatment. Shirley's moans were becoming more breathier and, if only I could hear, beautiful to hear.

Raising my head up, I kissed her again, my fingers continuing to move inside her. I felt as though she was very tight - she might be a virgin, but then again, so was I.

I thrust my digits faster into her, my lips landing on the side of her neck and I softly sucked at the area. Her moans were now louder than before, and with my work slowly paying off, she found herself climaxing.

When I pulled out my fingers, I noticed as to how clear and transparent the fluids were. I took a lick, and discovered just how sweet Shirley tasted. She tasted so sweet, that I was now hard as a rock, moving in between her legs and gently spreading them.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly inch myself into her, but as I filled her completely, her eyes widened and she gripped the sheets with both hands. Sensing the pained look on her face, I look down to see that there was blood escaping her entrance.

I raised my head to ask her 'Are you okay?' hoping my sign language could get to her quickly.

She looked towards me, and said, "Dane...I forgot to tell you that I am a virgin. But I know that I'm happy that you are my first. Is this your first time, too?"

When Shirley asked me that question, I nodded with a 'Yes.'

We both smiled at each other, before sharing a tender kiss together, thus confirming our love. Then, I started to move at a pace that, while slow, was gentle enough for her to handle.

Wrapping her arms around me, she allowed me to hold onto her. An unexpected groan came from my lips as I continued, one of my hands trailing to her thighs, stroking it softly.

She placed her hands on either side of my face, gazing lovingly into my eyes as her moans started to escalate. I end up kissing every part of her face, wishing that I could hear her sweet, beautiful moans.

I noticed as to how she was no longer in pain, as she silently encouraged me to move faster. I locked lips with Shirley's once more, our tongues dancing fervently as I began to pick up the pace.

Keeping her in my embrace, with my other hand behind her neck, my grunts were in tandem with her cries of passion. I felt as though I was in my own personal Cloud 9, with this lovely woman at my side.

I shudder as I thrust faster into her, noticing her breathing becoming more hitched and her moans much louder than before. I kept it up, hoping that I would soon reach my zenith together with her.

Her nails almost digging into my back, Shirley let out a long, loud scream of pure unbridled ecstasy as she found her release. I followed suit, a guttural moan escaping my lips as I came inside her.

Once I had expressed completely, I kept my embrace intact, resting my head on her shoulder. I was trying to catch my breath as much as she, before I slowly raised my head to face her.

Wiping some sweat off my face, she noticed me returning the favor, too. Unable to speak thanks to the overwhelming sensations that flooded us both, she kissed me once more, before I shifted myself, so that I was on my side.

Shirley was quick enough to the turn the lights off, and draped some sheets over us. She was about to sleep, when she asked, "Are you sure you're gonna look for Lala?"

I look at her with a concerned expression, before I responded with, 'I'll try and find her. Hopefully, she'll be safe.'

She nodded, before snuggling into my arms and falling fast asleep. I look down at her, thinking that if I find myself getting killed by any SOL33 associates while trying to search for Lala, this could be the last time I'll ever see Shirley.

My eyes began to close as I followed her to sleep, hoping that the next night will be just as eventful as tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, starting in the next chapter, Dane's quest to save Lala begins! Catch you soon!
> 
> With love for my fans,
> 
> Chrissy


	4. Rescuing Lala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: As always, thanks for waiting!
> 
> By the way from this point on, this is where I start modifying certain pieces of the plot, so you might notice something different. Anyways, on with the show!

**The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered**

When morning arose, I stirred a bit when I felt a kiss on my lips. It happened to be a good morning kiss from Shirley, before she had got out of bed to get dressed.

I was still fast asleep, even as she wrote me a note, and placed it on her desk, until she finally left the bedroom. As I slowly opened my eyes, I noticed I was alone, but I was quick enough to find the note.

Putting on my boxers, I went towards the note, and began to read it.

 _Dane,_  
_Words just can't describe how wonderful last night really was. I am very glad we were able to share that moment together._  
_Unfortunately, all good things always have to come to an end. But I know you can rescue Lala; believe me, you have my full support, and Alex's, too._  
_Please be careful, and don't give up. I love you._  
_Sincerely, Shirley_  
_P.S. If you want, we can have breakfast here, or maybe at a diner._

I smiled, before I went to put my clothes back on. When I emerged from her bedroom, I gestured to her, asking if we could eat breakfast together; she agreed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Night 5**

Later on, that night, I had decided to see Mr. Swank in his office. He noticed, and asked, "Yes?"

'Mr. Swank, I want to take time off so that I can look for Lala. Will you grant me permission?'

He paid attention to my sign language, before he replied, "Very well, then. But just be forewarned: the journey's gonna be pretty dangerous, and you might risk your life. So I'd be cautious if I were you, kid."

He also left his desk, taking what appeared to be some sort of note, and handing it over to me. As I read it, I realized it was a ransom note, with Isaac demanding me, Taye, or anyone else affiliated with Liberty to pay a large sum of cash, or else something bad would happen to Lala.

"And that's not all," Swank added, before he opened a drawer to his desk, and pulled out something. Last night, Moonrise must have not only gotten the ransom note, but also this strange...white...cloth, as well.

He brought it over to me, and I froze as I inspected what appeared to be a white dress, with a circle-shaped blood wound. And then, it hit me.

_This dress...the bullet wound...oh god..._

_Is this...is this the same dress my mother worn when she was shot by Isaac?!_

_How did...?!_

Overwhelmed by anger and sadness, I felt as though I was recreating the incident from years ago, when I tried to get Taye and Isaac to calm down and stop arguing, but it all led to my mother trying to break things up.

And then Isaac was going to shoot me, but Taye was trying not to let him do it, and then...then Isaac accidentally pulled the trigger.

_This memory...this traumatic memory...it's all coming back to me...!_

I let out a bloodcurdling scream, dropping down to my knees as Swank looked on in sheer shock. As he slowly walked over to me, I was crying like crazy.

"Dane...I didn't know this brought back something horrible in the past, hasn't it?" he asked.

I look up to him, tears running down my face as I nodded, before I stood up. 'Lala looks like my mother. Why would they try to exploit a past memory that I just want to forget?'

"Are you saying that your mother and Lala look alike?! Jesus..." Swank muttered, gritting his teeth, before I quickly left his office, and headed out on my own.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I had to control my rage as I ventured through the city, searching high and low for Lala's whereabouts, until I was able to locate a large building. It had a penthous that belonged to Isaac, but before I could actually get to him, I had to deal with his men within the building.

It wasn't easy dealing with at least five of those bastards, but I was able to perservere and start laying them all out. It all began when one of them attempted to punch me in the nose, but I gave him a low blow to the groin.

I was then attacked by the second from behind, before putting me in a chokehold. I would find the strength to elbow him in the stomach several times, before he lost his grip. I slammed my fists into his face, and even uppercutted him, nearly making his jaw break.

The next two found themselves against me, and one of them also took out a switchblade from his pocket, wanting to cut my throat open. I quickly dodged the attack, and then gave him a flurry of quick kicks to the torso and lower area.

The other one taunted me, prompting me to start wailing on him with my fists. It was a combo so great, it made him fly out the window and down to his death. Finally, the last one was a beefy man of very tall height, and had begun cracking his knuckles before charging towards me.

He punched me in the face a few times, until I blocked his next attack, elbowing him in the chest. I also picked up the switchblade from one of the fallen thugs, and swiftly stabbed him in one of his hands, before sinking the blade into his face.

He collapsed in a pool of his blood, and to my surprise, I was still standing, even after all the damage I've taken. Finding the nearest elevator, I decided to head inside and travelled to the penthouse floor.

Making sure my knuckles were fairly clean after wiping them on my jeans, I stepped inside the penthouse, and was greeted by Isaac, who taunted me before challenging me to a fight. He attacked me first with a headbutt, stunning me for a bit, before I broke out of the stupor to roundhouse kick him a few times.

He fought back by slugging me in the face with his fists, and once he was about to finish his combo, I countered by blocking the punch, and then punching him in the upper area, as well as his head. I also gave him a right hook to the jaw, making his mouth bleed a bit from the inside.

I followed it up by punching him in the stomach, making Isaac cough up a bit of blood. I was ready to pummel him some more when he dropped a bombshell on me.

"You can hurt me as much as you want: I'll admit, I felt pretty bad about shooting your mom all those years ago. Not to mention, I was floored when I learned that the chick here looked like her, too. So...are we cool, now?" he asked me.

I just grit my teeth, my rage overcoming me as I before threw him out the window, hearing him let out a scream as he fell to his death. Now that he's out of the picture, it looks like SOL33 is bound to implode.

I looked for Lala, until I found her in Isaac's bedroom, staring out the window with a rather neutral expression on her face.

I waved 'hello' for her to notice me, and when she looked towards me, I used my sign language to tell her, 'Lala, you're safe! C'mon, I'll take you back to Taye.'

Lala just shrugged, before replying, "Sure, I guess."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It seemed as though she sounded like she didn't really care about getting kidnapped, but nevertheless, we left the penthouse. However, I would be greeted by a very unexpected surprise.

"Dane...you did all this?!" he asked me, sporting a very angry expression. "All of these years of friendship...and this is how you repay me?! You even trick me into starting a gang war, all because you're so jealous of seeing Lala with me?!"

I instantly fired back with my sign language, 'You don't understand, Taye. Isaac and SOL33 had hired someone to kidnap Lala, and I had to rescue her.'

"Are you saying someone else stalked her?" he asked. He grit his teeth for a moment, before he let out a long, drawn-out sigh, before he added, "Allright, you win. I believe you. But next time, don't be doing anything stupid!"

"Actually, I tricked all of you." Lala told us. "I told Dane as to how my life was meaningless, and that I just want it to end prematurely. So, I faked my own kidnapping by having this man...I think his name was Robert...kidnap me."

Taye froze in shock, unable to speak until he finally regained his composure. "Lala, you...you traitorous bitch!"

As he pulled out his gun, he aimed it right at Lala's head, and my eyes widened in horror. I was about to step in and take the bullet, when an older man in a trenchcoat drove in and quickly took me into his car.

He also did the same with Lala, and as the car drove off, Taye stood there, befuddled as to why someone saved her life instead of having himself do the job.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The car would then reach what appeared to be the police department, and as the man ushered me and Lala inside, he was intent on interrogating both of us.

"Why did you rescue us both?" Lala asked him.

"I didn't want either one of you shot down by this criminal. He's been doing a lot of shady things while taking the reins with Liberty."

I blinked, before standing up and with my gestures, replied, 'I know him; he's been my best friend since we were younger.'

The man squinted at me, and asked, "You don't speak?"

I shake my head no, before I followed it up with, 'I'm deaf. I've been that way since birth.'

Lala was able to take a good look at him, and asked, "Aren't you Robert? You helped me out, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, I recognize you, Lala." he replied. He then turned to face me and ask, "Just what are these gestures you do?"

'It's sign language.' I said. At the same time, I couldn't help but notice as to how awfully familiar he looked.

_In fact, could he be my...?_

_No, I shouldn't think about it..._

"Sign language, huh?" Robert asked. "Very unique style of dialogue you have there, I'm impressed."

I smiled, before he asked Lala, "Speaking of the criminal, do you know him?"

"Yes, Taye's my boyfriend...well, my soon to be ex-boyfriend." she replied.

He then asked me, "And you happen to be affiliated with Liberty, as well?"

I nodded, 'I work as a bouncer for Club Moonrise.'

"Hmmm...an enforcer, huh?" he said, cupping his chin in deep thought. "This is obviously the first time I've ever met someone like you, but..."

I looked a bit concerned as he left out a deep breath, before he finally said, "Actually, let's just pick up where we left off in this conversation. Lala, you're free to go."

Lala smiled, before she got up. Just as she headed towards the front doors, Robert walked over to her, and gave her a small kiss on the lips. I didn't see it, nor I couldn't hear it.

Once she was out the door, Robert came back and sat next to me. "Listen, kid. I could use your help in apprehending Taye and putting an end to Liberty and SOL33 once and for all." he told me.

My calmness gave way to hesitancy, as I bite my lower lip. 'I'm not sure. I don't want to betray my friend's trust, like I nearly did.'

"As much as it can risk your friendship with Taye, you need to assist me. Do you understand?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, before I nodded in agreement.

"Allright then; we'll meet tomorrow night, okay?" Robert replied, sporting a small smile. I smiled back, nodding again.

"You can now leave the station." he added.

Getting up, I left the police department, but when I was gone, Robert couldn't help but feel his smile change into a very noticeable frown.

_Perhaps...he could have something to do with me?_

_Who knows..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, we're nearing the final half of the story. Stay tuned!
> 
> With love for my fans,
> 
> Chrissy


	5. Confrontation with Taye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Welcome back, and thanks for waiting!

**The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered**

**Night 6**

The next night, I had prepared myself to go out and rendevous with Robert, when I heard a knock on the door. Heading to the front door, I answered it, and I was surprised to discover Mr. Swank standing there.

"Hey, kid." he simply told me.

'Hello, Mr. Swank.' I greeted him. 'Why are you here?'

"Well, I just wanted to talk to you about your job. You see, Taye ordered me to suspend you from your position as an bouncer for a week." he replied.

'Why is that?'

"I believe it may have been what happened last night; Taye believed you were the stalker, but he revealed about how you were using your sign language to get him to understand you weren't the stalker in question. I know I don't want to suspend you, but I have no other choice than to abide by his request." he said, crossing his arms as he let out a sigh.

I frowned, before he added, "Someone else will be able to take over your position for that one week only. But don't worry, I will pay you a reasonable amount of money from your unintentional week off. Even better, is that you can still visit Moonrise."

I nodded, before he eventually left. Despite my suspension from working at Club Moonrise, I was far more focused on dealing with Taye, ready to leave my apartment to find Robert.

However, I noticed a box in the mail, getting it out, and began to open it. My jaw hung in shock as I discovered that inside was a mask very reminicent of the one in my drawings, but whoever gave it to me had their name crossed out. Regardless, I take the box, and I headed out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was able to find Robert outside of Club Moonrise, and as he detected me, he said, "Glad to see you can make it here in time."

I nodded, before he added, "We need to make sure no one detects us as we enter the building, just so you know."

Nodding a second time, we both entered the club, trying our best to avoid discussion with any of the people present, including Alex and even Shirley. They tried to talk to us: the former raised an eyebrow, trying to get my attention, whereas the latter was finishing up making a daiquiri when she glanced at me and Robert, wondering as to who the man accompanying me was.

When we reached Taye's office, Mr. Swank was quick enough to greet us. "Oh, hello there, Dane. You brought a friend along, have you?" he asked.

'He's not my friend, just an acquaintance.' I said through my sign language.

"I see...and you wanted to talk to Taye, I presume?" he said.

I nodded again, before Swank added, "Well, he's still reeling over a bit about what happened yesterday, so be careful."

He stepped aside, and Robert and I then got into Taye's office. He was in the middle of looking out a window when he heard our footsteps, and turned to see me...and Robert.

"What the hell's going on here? And who's this guy standing next to you?" he asked.

Starting by pointing at Robert, I responded, 'This is a detective named Robert; he was looking to put you under arrest.'

"What the...?! First you kept your trust with me last night and now this?! Shit!" Taye exclaimed, banging one of his fists on the desk.

"There's ABSOLUTELY no way you're gonna put me behind bars, baldie!" he added.

Robert was miffed by such a comment, and pulled out his gun. "Just come to me with your hands up, and I will arrest you. Otherwise, if you don't, I'll be forced to take action, as will your 'friend'." he told him.

"Fuck you!" Taye retorted, instantly drawing out his pistol, and with careful aiming, shot him in the shoulder.

The detective grit his teeth, clutching his wound, while I looked at Taye with an unusual coldness. "Dane, don't make this guy put me behind bars, because if he does, then Liberty...my own empire...is completely fucked." he said.

His eyes were slowly moistening, and as he kept his grip on the pistol, reluctantly aiming at me, he continued, "What happened years ago...what happened with your mother...I didn't kill her. I know Isaac did, he did this to himself."

My mouth gaped a bit in shock, and Taye continued. "As much as I don't wanna do this, I've got no other choice, Dane. Even if you seemingly betrayed me, and that I want you dead and gone...you still are a good friend to me."

I was stunned, before I gave him a gesture indicating, 'I'm sorry, Taye.'

But before he pulled the trigger, someone else barged into the office. It was Lala, who had quickly walked over to Robert and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...thanks for coming to my aid." he replied.

She smiled, before she leered at Taye, causing him to ask her, "Oh, now you wanna take Dane's side? I bet you wanna die the same way as he will!"

"Just put the gun down, and stop fighting. The two of you were friends to begin with, after all." Lala replied.

"Fuck off, bitch!" he retorted, before he attempted to shoot her.

However, this prompted her to quickly exit the office, and with his sadness transforming into pure anger, Taye grit his teeth, before he followed right after her.

I left the office, ready to pursue them, and then took out the strange mask from the box, and put it on. Once I donned it, I felt a chill down my spine, realizing that I looked exactly like the Quiet Man himself, before I headed out onto the roof, where Taye had just cornered Lala.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When I got there, an argument between the two was already taking place. It also didn't help that it was now raining like crazy, too.

"Why can't you both get along like old times? Please, I need you to hear me out!" Lala begged.

"I don't give..." Taye was about to respond when he quickly detected me arriving.

"Oh no, you ain't fooling me with that get-up!" he exclaimed, before taking out his cellphone. After entering a specific number, he began to speak again.

"Yeah, it's me, Taye...uh, huh...yeah...yeah, go for it, he's right on the roof...Allright, thanks!"

I didn't know as to who he was talking to, until I noticed right behind me, that a group of five Liberty members emerged, and that they were all ready to do me in.

The first right charged right at me, grabbing me by the neck and punching me in the stomach. I knee'd him in the stomach so that he could let go of me, and landed a few surprise left and right hooks to his face.

One of them was devastating enough to make his lower lip bleed, before I kicked him off the roof. As he fell to his death, the second of the group was up next, and with my focus growing more apparent, I kicked him in the head a few times, before following it up with a series of jabs to the torso.

I even slammed him against a wall several times before I threw him down to the ground, and as I detected the third and fourth guys coming after me, one of them attempted to grab me and try and take my mask off.  
I elbowed him mercilessly the gut, so that he would get off of me, and I shoved my knee right into his jaw. He tried to clutch at his jaw in pain, until I performed a couple of roundhouse kicks on him, so that he was literally flying into another wall.

The fourth man, however, was wielding a large iron pipe, and as he snuck up from behind, hit me upside the back with the weapon. I land on my knees, gritting my teeth as I began to slowly get up, turning my attention.  
He began to attack me again, with two successful hits, until I stopped his incoming third. I grabbed the pipe from his hands, and started bashing him in the head and torso with it. Once I laid him out, the last one pulled out a pistol and started shooting at me.

I had narrowly dodged those bullets without taking a hit from them, and with the iron pipe still in my hand, I took a page from my previous enemy's book, by going behind him, and shoving the end of the weapon into his back, making him drop his gun, and allowing me to beat him down.

This made Taye crack his own knuckles, and decided to go face to face with me. He started with a series of lightning fast punches, including one to the face, which nearly knocked my mask off. I couldn't help but be impressed by his moves, but I knew this was the end of the line for him.

I hit him in the torso with the iron pipe, and to him, those moves hurt like crazy, before he suddenly uppercutted me. He was ready to put me away when I hit him in the stomach a few times with the lead pipe, causing him to almost gag.

"Fuck this shit!" he managed to say between pants, before Taye pulled out his pistol, and aimed it right at Lala. "Goodbye, bitch." he simply told her.

My eyes widen as I noticed him about to shoot her, and as quickly as I could, I decided to make the save for her. Yet at the same time, I realized that he already made the shot, and the bullet would soon hit my torso.

I collapsed to the ground, and Lala screamed in horror as she exclaimed, "Don't die, Dane! Please!"

At the same time, another man reached the roof, carrying a gun in his hand. Through my hazy vision, I discovered it was Mr. Swank, and as he aimed his pistol at Taye, he told him, "Show's over, Taye."

The bullet went through Taye's head, and he fell to his knees, and then completely face down as he laid there, now dead in a possible pool of his own blood. This left Swank rushing over to me, and as I soon lost consciousness, he stared down at me, and said, "I'll get you to a hospital soon, allright? I've just called the local hospital; just hold on!"

My vision went black, and it seemed as though I was dead...

...Or was I?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, I would slowly awaken, discovering myself in a hospital room, with bandages on a certain area on my body, and in only my boxers. As I began to look around and see my surroundings, I suddenly noticed a man in a cream-colored suit, his arms crossed as he looked down at me with a small smile.

"Good to see you're still alive, kid." he said.

I was able to discover that it was Mr. Swank, and I let out a small smile as I nodded. 'I'm glad you'd come to visit me. Am I okay?'

"The doctors were able to get that bullet out of your body, though the wound also had to be patched up, as well." he replied.

With my gestures and sign language, I asked, 'What happened to the mask?'

"Oh, that strange headgear? I'm afraid someone must've took it from you as you passed out. The good news is that you still have your clothes to change into."

I nodded, and as I got up, putting my clothes back on while Swank wasn't looking. Once I was fully clothed, I asked him, 'What happened to Taye?'

"Simply put, I shot him. After years of putting up with him, I think I've finally had the opportunity to remind him that Moonrise will never be under Liberty's rule. After all, I had been in charge of the building before Liberty even showed up. Now it looks like their reign is coming to an end thanks to our actions." he told me.

I was slightly surprised, and a bit more so when he said that he shot Taye. I closed my eyes and began to reminisice on all the past memories I had with my former friend, until the door suddenly opened.

"Dane!"

A woman burst into the room, and though I expected her to be Lala, it actually wasn't her. It was Shirley, who stood there with a small bouquet of flowers, and sporting an elated smile. "Thank God you're allright! What happened last night, Dane?" she asked, walking towards me.

I took the bouquet from her, and embraced her, as well as sharing a gentle kiss together, before I relayed the previous night's events to her with my sign language. From confronting Taye with Robert's help in order to stop Liberty, to learning that Taye never had any intention of murdering my mom, to him attempting to kill Lala and allowing me to take the bullet for her and pass out, and finally, to Mr. Swank shooting Taye out of revenge, this was enough to shock her to her core.

"I don't believe it...now SOL33 and Liberty are completely off the map, right?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if those two gangs might get future leaders or not. Because if they don't, they're done for." another voice said.

We discovered that it was Alex, who walked towards us. "Other than that, though, that strange man is still on the loose." he added.

I felt my blood boil as he continued, "Not to mention, one of the doctors gave me this note for you."

He handed over a small white note to me, before I began to read it.

_Dane,_

_You just don't change, do you?_

_We'll meet again the next night on the roof of Moonrise._

_Don't be late._

The note simply ended there, without a name of whoever wrote it. "Who could it possibly be?" Shirley asked.

I shook my head indicating that I didn't know, before Swank told me, "Whoever that man is, you've gotta stop him."

Taking a deep breath, I nodded in agreement. Tonight, this will be the last battle in these series of events...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, we're nearing the finale of the story. Stay tuned!
> 
> With love for my fans,
> 
> Chrissy


	6. Showdown with The Quiet Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Well, here we are. The grand finale of this story, with an far more reasonable ending to boot.
> 
> I'll explain more at the end, just so you know. With that said, enjoy!

**The Quiet Man: Revised and Reanswered**

**Night 7**

Later on, that night, I took a deep breath, standing outside Moonrise. With Liberty no longer affiliated with it thanks to Taye's death, I also began to reminisce everything that had happened for the past six and a half days.

From helping out Alex in dealing with several SOL33 mobsters that took some of his belongings, to preventing a stalker from pursuing Shirley and growing closer to her, to taking out Isaac and hopefully bringing an end to SOL33, and finally, to rescuing Lala, only for her to tell the truth, and finally confronting Taye, leading to an unexpected twist.

Taking another deep breath, I stepped into the club, and remembered what the note said. Traveling upstairs, I would eventually reach the rooftop, noticing that it was fairly rainy compared to last night.

"I'd knew you come." a voice called out from the shadows, to which the owner of the voice began walking towards me.

By the way the figure was in full view, my jaw dropped. It was the very same man that kidnapped Lala a few days ago, holding what appeared to be a taser in his hand, as well as donning the same Quiet Man mask.

"Dane...I hope you were instantly fooled by as to who I was the other day. In fact, I have a story to tell you." he told me.

"Remember how my wife Lorraine tried to stop those two kids from arguing, as well as trying to gun you down because you wanted them to stop fighting? Well, the moment she tried to take cover for you, one of those punks shot her. Because of this, I blamed it all squarely on you, and that our hatred for each other would escalate for years to come.

And here you are, working as a bouncer for some kitschy nightclub. Me? I had been working as a police officer, but then I met a woman who looked exactly like Lorraine. Her name was Lala, and she wanted me to help her get away from everything in her life: her abusive manager, the pressure built on her from all that fame and fortune, every single damn _**thing**_.

So when she asked me that I'd help her out, I accepted, but why do you ask? Because when you were younger and did all those drawings, I was able to take a look at some of them, and to my delight, I decided to make a persona similar to this 'Quiet Man' you made up. And this mask...would prove to be part of the plan, and I also worn clothes to make sure I wouldn't stand out, and pretend to stalk her, so I could drive her to the point of going mad...and pretend to kidnap her as well.

And I did all this...just to get you to kill those two bastards Taye and Isaac for what they did to Lorraine!"

I grit my teeth in anger, and nearly cried, before I regained my composure and began using my sign language to retort, 'I may have not killed Taye, I just let Mr. Swank take care of it. But I will never forgive you for what you've done to me in the past!'

Gripping his taser in his hand, the man - my father - said, "If that's the way things go, then so be it."

He lunged towards me, about to strike me with his weapon, until I narrowly dodged it. I followed it up by punching him a few times in the torso, and though it took some fair damage, it didn't stop him from fighting back.

This time, his taser struck me on my lower body, namely my legs, prompting me to nearly stumble. He continued his onslaught, using his other hand to deliver a series of punches, as well as a hook to my face.

My face was bruised and bloodied a bit, but I persevered, hoping I'd finish the job and put an end to the string of events that had happened for nearly a week now. I roundhouse kicked him a couple of times, and even slammed my foot into his stomach, causing him to nearly drop his taser.

Yet the man chose to attack me again, slamming his taser into my torso, as well as my face, and though I was stunned, I chose to recover, and then uppercut him. When he landed on the ground, he slowly got back up to his feet.

He temporarily put down his weapon, and started slugging me with swift, precise punches, so much so that I was now stumbling like crazy, attempting to pick up the taser. Unfortunately, my vision started blacking out, even as I landed a very hard right hook to his face thanks to my growing focus.

Finally obtaining the taser, the man was just as groggy as I was, hitting my neck with his weapon, before he collapsed to the ground. He dropped his weapon, and I ended up hitting the ground.

This fight had taken a lot out of both of us, so much so that we were too tired to go on. I had attempted to converse with him, with the words, 'I'm sorry.' But I knew I was already out cold...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While my father and I were both passed out, Alex had went up to the roof, as he believed he heard the sound of people fighting upstairs. When he walked in, he saw the two of us, completely unconscious, and decided to call 911.

When the ambulance, and even the police arrived, they were both able to fetch both me and the strange man - my father, if you will - out of the building. When we both eventually regained consciousness, we were eventually brought to the police and interrogated.

To my surprise, my father would be soon put on trial for the crimes he committed in the past, which included kidnapping Lala, the woman who resembled my mother. As for me, I spent a whole week not only in counseling, but also did a little soul-searching, realizing that my father and I needed to make amends.

He was found guilty, and would spend a fair amount of years in prison. But I wanted to visit him once he was incarcerated, hoping to bury the hatchet.

Several months would pass, and I would travel to the local prison, and with my sign language handy, I told the guards, 'My name's Dane. I would like to talk to my father.'

"You wish to visit him? Very well." one of the guards said to me.

I was then led to the visiting room, where I would wait at a nearby booth. Eventually, my father, wearing his prison uniform, showed up, and said, "Dane..."

He had on a very solemn expression, and added, "I just want to tell you that I am very sorry for all the things I've done to you and your friends, and I'm also sorry for blaming you for not being able to save Lorraine. After all, we need to make amends and put an end to all the strife between us."

I nodded, sporting a small smile, before I looked over at the guards, asking them, 'Can I see him in person?'

The guards were surprised at first, but they ended up nodding their approval, and I left the booths to see my father face to face, possibly for the final time...at least, until he's finished his sentence. We stood there, staring at each other with fairly sorrowful expressions, before I finally told him with my gestures, 'I'm sorry, too, Dad. I love you.'

The last bits of sign language touched his heart, and he replied with a genuine smile, "I love you, too."

We then gave each other a strong hug that lasted for almost a minute, before we let go. I waved goodbye at him, and he nodded, telling me, "Goodbye, Dane."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As I left the building, I was greeted by an unexpected surprise: Alex, Shirley, and even Lala were standing there, sporting very elated smiles. It seemed as though they all wanted to see me when I chose to visit my father in prison.

I smile back at them, and Alex suggested that we all have lunch at the local cafe, which we all agreed on.

_Things can only get better..._

And better they did. Lala broke her contract with her manager, and decided to find herself a more reasonable manager that wouldn't treat her like dirt. She even paid her respects to Taye, apologizing for everything that had happened.

With Mr. Swank finally returning at the helm, and Liberty no longer there, Moonrise returned to the stylish, sophisticated nightclub it had always been. Alex still frequented there, and it's rumored that he's taken an interest in a local singer who performed there.

As for me, I've finally got my job back, and concerning Shirley, we spent nearly a whole year dating, before I used my money to buy her an engagement ring, and then proposing to her with the right gestures and sign language. She was simply happy to accept the proposal, and several weeks later, after planning ahead, we tied the knot.

And thus, my story has come to an end.

**Oh, silent world  
**

**Rest assured that love lies beyond words...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, what a story. Though it took, like, two months for me to begin and end this story (which is funny, because the game came out in November, and I began writing this fanfic in March, and ended it in April-so I kinda was late to the party, I guess), I know it was all worth it. And with this fanfiction, I had woven a very well-done plot that could've been the actual plot in the game proper, including the mundane button-mashing combat segments.
> 
> So, with that said, be on the lookout for new fanfics from me...if I ever do any, that is. Life's pretty busy for me, y'know.
> 
> With love for my fans,
> 
> Chrissy

**Author's Note:**

> That's the first night, a bit short but pretty eventful, but later on, the plot starts to slowly kick in on the next night. Feel free to leave me comments / reviews / helpful criticism anytime!
> 
> With love for my fans,
> 
> Chrissy


End file.
